


Two Halves Make a Whole

by HistoireEternelle



Series: Aurum [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, F/M, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2014-11-24
Packaged: 2018-02-26 22:00:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2667923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HistoireEternelle/pseuds/HistoireEternelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She went to hide behind a large marble column to find some peace and he was there. Standing alone in his barbarian clothes, his hands closed on top of his walking stick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Halves Make a Whole

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EmilieVitnux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmilieVitnux/gifts).



> Thank you so much Ripperblackstaff for your help, you're the best!! Love you!

She spotted him on her way back home. In the middle of the crowd he was here, standing alone, his hand on the handle of a strange looking walking stick. She felt her heart jump in her chest. It was impossible. It simply couldn’t be possible. He was dead. Gaston had told her he had killed him with his own hands. She must be wrong.

 

They made eye contact and he nodded silently. No sign of recognition in his eyes, nothing. He was wearing strange clothes, not the toga she was used to see on wealthy men. The crowd hid him from her and when the street cleared, he was gone. She shook her head and smiled ruefully, it wasn’t him. Rumplestiltskin had died ten years ago. That man surely looked like him, same eyes, same hair, but it couldn’t be him. Pushing the man from her mind, she walked back home were her father and her fiancé were waiting for her.

 

There was a huge gathering tonight with many Senators – even the Emperor might make an appearance if the rumor was true – for the first day of celebrations. She had fought with every fibers of her soul to escape the fate her father had chosen for her. Being Gaston’s wife amongst his many mistresses wasn’t what she would have chosen for her future. The former head of security had left her father's employ to seek fortune and glory on the battlefields of Africa and had found them. He had come back, having been elevated to the rank of Centurion by the soldiers themselves. It had been the start of his fame. Now, Gaston was a famed general, known for showing no mercy and many enemies trembled at the mention of his name.

 

He had become the favorite at the Palace and as the daughter of a Senator – one of the closest of the Emperor – she had been the perfect match for him.

 

It was time for her to make an appearance, it was her party after all; she stepped from behind the draperies, wearing one of those short gowns from Greece. She was absolutely hill at ease, showing that much skin wasn’t something a well-bred daughter was supposed to do, but it was the last fashion in Rome those days and she had to follow the lead. She was already the strange girl in the city, her nose always in the last tablets carved, too old to be still a maiden; she had to play the part tonight. 

 

She started to navigate between guests, greeting people and receiving congratulations for the good match she had made. But she wasn't happy and it wasn't a good match at all. She spotted her father sprawled on a chair, a glass of wine in one hand, the other on the thigh of a servant feeding him grapes. Gaston was near by his eyes glued on the two slaves fucking on the floor in front of him. She felt sick in her stomach, she knew it was how party went in the high society for Rome, but she still didn't understand why. She went to hide behind a large marble column to find some peace and he was there. Standing alone in his barbarian clothes, his hands closed on top of his walking stick.

 

"Awful, isn't it?" He said without turning his head. "Almost as much as the Games at the Colosseum," he added looking finally at her.

 

At his voice, she felt her heart stop. It was him. It was Rumplestiltskin. 

 

"How..." she breathed.

"Long story short? He wasn't as thorough as he should have been. I woke up in a shallow grave and made my way to a shelter, I nursed myself back to health and left Rome," he said a rictus on his lips. “I was lucky they didn’t feed me to the lions.”

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you that day, I'm so sorry," Belle cried closing the gap between them.

 

He took her in his arms his nose buried in her long dark curls. It was the first time they shared an embrace and it felt good, oh so good.

 

"You killed him, didn't you?" She asked stepping back from him. It was the latest gossip in town a slaver had been killed, chopped and fed to an old sick lion.

"I did. He killed my Baelfire," he said lowering his eyes. "Are you disgusted?" He asked shyly.

"He killed your son," she said compassion in her eyes.

He smiled at her then, she understood his need to avenge his beloved son and she didn't judge him for that. 

"I've never stopped loving you," she breathed looking back at the scene playing in the middle of the room.

 

The actors had changed, instead of slaves it was a prized gladiator tormenting a young girl not older than 14. She was disgusted. 

 

"I should leave," he said tuning his eye from the couple fucking on the floor.

"Take me with you," she pleaded, her hand on his arm.

"I can't it would be too dangerous for you to be with me. You have a family here, a future," he said sadly.

"I don't care! My father would have preferred a son and Gaston... Well, look yourself!" She said her voice rising.

 

They looked at the man sprawled on a chair a slave her hand under his toga, his eyes were closed, his breath erratic. She closed her eyes and squeezed his forearm.

 

"Please" she begged.

"We're leaving Rome tomorrow to Massalia and then to Lutecia. It won't be a pleasant journey," he said squeezing her hand on his arm. 

 

Gaul then, that explained his strange clothes.

 

"Come." 

"But my father... My clothes..."

"They won't miss you before late tomorrow, and we'll buy you whatever you need," he said walking her to the door.

"Wait! I can't leave without it," she stopped him. "Wait here it won't be long." 

 

She left him at the door and went back inside, running down the marble halls to her room. Once inside she took the broken staff lying against the wall. She looked around her, sad eyes on the tablets piled in the corner next to her bed, before leaving her life behind. She went back to the man waiting for her and saw his eyes widening at the sight.

 

"You kept it," he breathed choked.

"Of course I kept it! But I only have half," she said a sad smile on her lips.

"Not anymore," he smiled showing her his walking stick.

 

Eyeing it closely, she found some reddish stains in the wood and she understood. His blood. He had kept his half of the staff and had carved it into a walking stick.

 

She hugged him then. 

 

"I'm going by Mr. Gold now," he said, Belle at his arm, leaving the brightly illuminated house behind.


End file.
